There’s a revolution going on in the world of challah, that delicious egg bread that (for me) is the highlight of the Shabbat experience. Around the country (and maybe the world?) people are reinventing the Shabbat staple, turning it from mere bread into an artistic and political movement.

Challah For Hunger is a group which bakes and sells challah on college campuses to raise money for hunger and social justice programs. According to their website:

For all the volunteers and many of the customers, Challah for Hunger provides opportunities to be involved in a fun and dedicated community, to address humanitarian problems, to develop and practice new skills–like baking and marketing, to become involved in advocacy and other forms of activism, and more.

Adventures In Challah is a blog by Ben Vorspan, an LA web designer who took up challah baking as a Friday-morning hobby. Craving a little diversity in his egg bread, Ben began creating his own recipes as far reaching as cheesecake, garlic-rosemary, peanut butter and even latke! Ben also makes his challah available for sale…just drop by his house.

A Taste of Challah uses bread as a vehicle for traditional Jewish ideas around the home, motherhood and family spirituality. Author Tamar Ansh is connecting women to the sacred feminine through her site, which includes not only recipes but a weekly reading of the Torah portion, homemaking guides and more.

The next question is: how are you going to take challah to the next level?

– Mix the yeast, sugar and and warm water. Let the mixture stand for 10-20 minutes.
– Whisk the salt, oil, tofu, and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl or in a blender. Add the yeast mixture.
– Slowly stir in 2 cups of the flour then add the rest with your hands as you knead the dough. You might need slightly more less flour than is called for. The dough should come out smooth and stretchy without being too sticky to touch.
– Place the dough in a clean, oiled or floured bowl. Let it risk for 2-3 hours covered. I was told that the secret to good challah is letting it rise three times. Since I usually start my challah on Thursdays, I let let the dough rise overnight and during the day Friday in the fridge. Let it rise somewhere warmer if doing it over a shorter period of time.
– Punch the dough down on it has risen. Roll the challah into 6 or 3 equal sized ropes and braid.

There are a lot of resources online for 6 and 3 strand challah braiding. I am still working on the 6 strand and suggest starting with 3 strand for first-timers or for the less-coordinated (me).

– Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush the loaves with soymilk and bake for 40-45 minutes. You can brush with soymilk again halfway through baking if desired. The challah should be golden brown when done.